One step forward and two steps back

Posted on Tue Oct 30th, 2018 @ 11:26pm by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Major Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Tue Oct 30th, 2018 @ 11:35pm

1,420 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 5 - It Would Be Their Pleasure
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD002 0730 hrs

Neil stood in his office, face bathed in light from the render of Tadian IV, looking at the insertion point they’d chosen and not even for the first time in the past hour, wished they had more firm intel on the terrain.

But, that was going to be a crap shoot. His comm chirped just as he was wondering about the Hawkeye’s refit. The flag on his terminal indicated he was wanted in the Captain’s ready room.

Frowning slightly, he shut his system down and headed for the lifts.

Minutes later he was standing in front of the Captain’s desk, at attention.

"Tremble, do you care to explain this." Tyler tossed a PADD across the desk, on the PADD was data pertaining to a mission for The Cure. A mission that Tyler was not told about, at least not up front. He was angry at command for going around him, but angry at Tremble more for not coming to him immediately when the orders came in.

Blinking, Neil got a sinking feeling in his stomach. “I… Captain Lindsey contacted me and Ms. Masters received intel on an Asset recovery. We started mission prep and reached out to those officers we’d need. This is a Dark Water mission and I was going to fill you in once I had the complete picture, sir.”

"As the commanding officer of The Cure it is your job to keep me in the loop every step of the way. While you may be a Marine asset and report to them, you are on my ship and therefore subject to my command. I do not care where the orders come from I have the final sign off on your mission orders. Now have a seat and fill me in on what the hell is going on." Tyler leaned forward on his desk and motioned toward a chair across the desk.

Neil slipped into the indicated seat, took a few beats to get his thoughts in order and then said, "Right. We are to insert onto a planetoid named Tadian IV and locate baggage belonging to Starfleet Intelligence. Then protect that cargo and extract them."

Furrowing his brow, he turned through some of his concerns, "I reached out to your CFO to see if they wanted in on this, since the computer tells me landing a shuttle is going to be dicey, though I haven't discussed it with JG Miex yet. I think we'll have to modify the Hawkeye somewhat, but the real concern is the unstable atmospheric conditions."

"Sorry I didn't cue you in before, Captain" Neil said, meeting the Captain's eyes. "I was following Dark Water protocols and I just didn't think."

"And there it is you didn't think. Dark Water protocols mean nothing. You went around this ship and re-appropriated my officers for your bidding. I have half a mind to take the mission on myself. I see no reason that this ship cannot extract a lost informant. However, I do not have the luxury of acting before thinking. In order to think I need all of the information. So tell me why is this asset so important. What in sam hill happened during the year we were gone?" Tyler found the precisie modulation of his voice that was not too loud that it went through the door, but loud enough that Tremble knew he was getting chewed out.

Tremble swallowed the sigh he wanted to release and stated, "From what Ms. Masters has told me we are after one Xoica, a Jelna arms merchant who has been feeding Intel to Fleet Intelligence for nearly a year. So about the time we went into Limbo. She's apparently has some important information and wants an extraction. Given she's went to ground, it's more than just paranoia."

"Why, or more likely who I don't know. We'll have to get in, sweep her up and get out before trouble finds her, if it hasn't already."

"What intelligence has she been feeding the fleet?" Tyler asked quickly without missing a beat. This was interrogation mode as Kat referred to it. Within Tyler a chuckled erupted, as interrogation mode was created by Kat after Tyler shot every reason that she gave not to get married in quick fire succession.

Neil saw the change come over Malbrooke: interest in more than mounting Tremble's head on his wall. "No idea, Captain. That's above my pay grade. Marines don't need to know why, just where and who."

He wasn't sure if that changed with being a butter bar, but he guessed not, based on his years in the corp.

"I am going to level with you. Things in the region got out of hand while we were away. Apparently the New Maquis have gained countless systems. The True Way is threatening to topple the Detapa Council. Everything we were working for is hanging by a thread. What makes everything worse is that Starfleet has a plan to put a stop to it all. But they have sidelined the Pioneer on the subject. Neil I am going to need you to do me a favor. Every mission, every you order you get for The Cure, must cross my desk before you tell your people. I need to know what they are planning and why they are using my people and not me or my ship." Tyler paced the room, he needed Tremble to to go with this plan. It was the best hope to staying in the loop.

Neil considered that for a moment, weighing things and said "Captain, we were told by SI to brief you in. Maybe, at some level at Fleet, they wanted to get you read in but through back channels. We haven't received any information on what we're to do with the asset once we recover her. If they were really serious about keeping the Pioneer out of the loop, they'd have picked another team."

Thinking further he added, "But, aye sir. I'll make sure you're briefed before we get to work. I guess I'm just used to being given an objective and getting it done soonest, sir."

Neil tried to sound contrite, but wondered what he would do if the Colonel or the Commandant gave him strict orders leaving Malbrooke out of the know.

"I understand that is how you are used to working. However, you are now part of a larger body. You are the right hand as it were. The left hand has to know what the right hand is doing or there is going to be issues. Not the least of which, is I will damned if there is going to be a war in this sector. I am going to do everything in power to prevent it, and if I can't prevent it. Then I am damn sure going to win. Do you get me?" Tyler decided to use the Marine vernacular in an effort to make sure that Tremble knew he meant business.

"I get you, sir!", Neil answered automatically, voice raising several octaves. " At that, he went silent, watching Malbrooke waiting to see if the Pioneer's CO was going to screw with his mission.

Tyler massaged his temples as he sat down at his desk and let out a deep sigh. "I know this is not your fault. The issue lays above your head. The corps does not tell the fleet what they are doing and vice versa. From this point on whenever you get orders from the corps I fully expect to be briefed in. Any fallout that you get, you have my full authority to put on me. Now in terms of this current mission. Take what you need, do what you have to do but keep me in the loop. Most of all keep the comm channel open." Tyler's voice and demeanor softened, it was quite clear he was done chewing Tremble out. He would now have to take the issue up with Marine command.

"We'll do our best sir," Neil stood, saluted, turned on his heel and half marched from the Captain's ready room. He didn't let his shoulders slump into he was in the lift and he shook his head, "Well, that was fun," he half murmured.

A Joint Post By

Second Lieutenant Cornelius Tremble
Marine Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer

Captain Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer

RSS Feed